Car-seal.



' No. 640,925; I Patented Jan. 9, 1900.

L. n. MEADOR.

GAR SEAL.

(Application filed Aug. 31, 1897.) (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEONIDUS D. MEADOR, OF WEWOKA, INDIAN TERRITORY.

CAR-SEAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,925, dated January9, 1900.

Application filed August 81, 1897. Serial No- 650,185. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEONIDUS D. MEADoR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Wewoka, in the Seminole Nation, Indian Territory, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Seals; and I dohereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to car-seals in general, and more'particularly tothat class in which when the seal is once affixed it is impossible toopen the car without first destroying the entire seal, the object of myinvention being to provide a cheap and effective device of this nature.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike numerals indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is aperspective view showing the sealing-wire having the seal affixed readyfor operation. Fig. 2 is a section of the seal-block on line 2 2,showing the operation of the elements of my device when in position; andFig. 3 is an end view of the block.

Referring now to the drawings, in operating in accordance with myinvention I cast or otherwise form of fragile material a block 5,containing a chamber 6, the ends 7 and 8 of which lie at right angles toperforations 9 and 10, formed in the ends of the block and open ing intothe chamber.

Cooperating with the block is a wire 11, having at one end a loop 12 andat the other a hook 13, the end 14 of which hook is turned outwardly atan angle to the body of the wire, as shown, and for a purpose presentlyto be described.

In practice the hook 13 is disengaged from the loop 12, and the end ofthe wire is passed through the staple or other proper portion of thelock to be sealed, the block 5 lying intermediate the ends of the wire.The hook is wall 7 of the chamber, absolutely preventing the withdrawalof the hook. The perforation 10 is somewhat smaller than the perforation9, so that the loop cannot be drawn therethrough, and, moreover, tofacilitate compression of the hook the outer portion of the perforationis countersunk, as shown. Also the perforation 9 may be elongated, asshown in Fig. 3.

The block is made of clay, porcelain, glass,- or other suitable fragilematerial whereby it may be readily broken when it is desired to removethe seal, and it will be readily under stood that I may make the blockof whatever material may prove desirable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- In a car-seal thecombination of a block having a chamber therein, and perforationsleading into the chamber of lesser diameter than the chamber andresulting in the formation of encircling walls, and a wire passedthrough said chamber and perforations, said wire having a loop at oneend and a hook at the other adapted for mutual engagement, said hookbeing adapted to be drawn into the chamber with the loop, and to expandtherein so that its end will engage the adjacent perforation-encirclingwall.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEONIDUS D. MEADOR.

Witnesses:

L. B. HAMPTON, ALICE R. LONG.

